


Messages Received and Understood

by pook



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Episode Related, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-07-12 20:29:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16002710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pook/pseuds/pook
Summary: A Hunters episode add on. The letters from home cause a growing anger that boils over. At last Kathryn finds out what was in Chakotay’s letters and she consoles him.





	Messages Received and Understood

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks: Katlady for the beta.

“The new uniforms are dreadfully dull, Captain.” The Doctor reminisced about his long away mission to the Prometheus. “I hope by the time we get back to the Alpha Quadrant, Starfleet would come to their senses…”

Kathryn stopped focusing on what the Doctor was saying and just nodded occasionally. She’d heard this story already once before and her mood wasn’t exactly the best at the moment. All she wanted was drink to her coffee in peace. Last night at the party, she was happy for her crew. Now she was a mass of conflicting emotions, grateful to know her family knew she was still alive, and sad just as Chakotay had said that their loved ones thought they might as well have been dead as Voyager was so far away and had moved on. Mark had, and now that sadness was being replaced with a growing anger that she was finding very difficult to quell. An irrational anger directed at the unfairness of the Caretaker for hurling them into the Delta Quadrant and to the Universe in general for ruining all their lives.

After four hard years, she should’ve been happy that they’d finally contacted Starfleet and some of the crew had received letters. She let her eyes wander around the Messhall at her crew. The crew members who had received letters stood out as they still had the padds close to them. Every now and then, she’d watched them look down at the padds and smile. ‘Obviously much better news than I got’, she thought almost bitterly, ‘I’d better leave before I ruin the mood for the crew.’

With her anger building she decided she’d better leave. “Excuse me, Doctor.” The captain got up, took her cup to the counter and headed for the door. Her hands were clenched into tight fists digging into the flesh. She hadn’t realized she’d been so worked up until she pressed the turbo lift door button and saw the blood on her palms. A walk around Voyager might settle her down, she decided and when the lift came she’d called for Deck fifteen.

~~~~~~

Todd Carlson entered the turbolift on Deck six in a daze. He’d been very quiet since being told by Chakotay of the Maquis’ fate at the hands of the Dominion. He’d already lost his only brother when his ship was destroyed by Starfleet and now he’d lost his entire family; his parents and sister were all in the Maquis and known to be in that area. He hadn’t fully come to terms with anything. ‘How could I?’ he thought. He hadn’t wanted to talk to the other Maquis about it. They had their own problems.

He became conscious of someone else was in the lift with him. It was his captain, Starfleet through and through and an Admiral’s daughter no less. ‘What did she know of suffering?’ he thought as he watched as she wiped blood away from her palms ‘Nothing! That’s probably my family’s blood she’s trying to wipe away.’ Carlson’s breathing became rapid as his anger boiled up and he hissed, “‘Out, out, damn spot!’ is the phrase you are looking for, Captain.” He was barely controlling the rage inside him.

The harshness of the voice woke her from her own thoughts and she looked up to see Carlson breathing heavily, fists clenched tightly knocking against his thighs. She thought he might explode.

“Were you trying to wipe away my family’s blood?” he spat at her literally and figuratively as spittle flew out almost with every word.

“Mr. Carlson, stand down,” the captain stressed. She’d no idea what he was talking about but couldn’t let him get away with speaking to her in that manner.

He stepped a pace closer. “You can’t wipe away all the blood! You killed my family!”

“Carlson, I don’t know what you are talking about but you are one step away from going to the Brig.”

“Damn you, Starfleet! You might as well have put the phaser to their heads and pulled the trigger.” With that he rushed her, swinging his fists at her. She just saw it coming and tried to move her head back but still received a glancing blow that was powerful enough to knock her back against the wall. Stunned and tasting blood, Kathryn shook her head to clear it before pushing herself back into a fighting position. She was able to side step him as his fist flew again. This time she used his own momentum and a double handed strike to his side to slam him into the wall leaving him stunned and slumped against the wall.

Moving to the other side while he was still down, she quickly pressed her comm. Badge. “Janeway to Security. Get a team to turbolift three now!”

“Aye, Captain.” Tuvok replied.

Carlson turned around and slid down the wall. He bent his knees up, rested his head on his arms and began to sob uncontrollably. She heard the anguish in his cries and relaxed a little as she leant against the wall. Her fingers gently rubbed the bridge of her throbbing nose.

The turbolift doors opened a short time later and Lt. Ayala came tentatively in, phaser at the ready while the other two team members stood alert either side of the doors. He wondered what was going on as he saw the captain standing on one side with a bloody nose and Carlson on the floor crying curled up in a ball. “Captain?”

“I’m fine, Mike.” She walked over to Mike and whispered in his ear. “Can you get Chakotay and Tuvok to come to Sickbay?”

“Yes, Captain.” Mike left the turbolift and contacted the officers before returning to stand by the doors.

Carlson had stopped crying but still sat with his head buried in his arms. Kathryn thought he’d cried himself out enough to try and talk to him. She knelt down next to him, placing her hand gently on his shoulder. “Todd, can you walk?”

Carlson felt completely shattered and could only nod in reply.

“Mike and I are going to take you to Sickbay.” Kathryn waved Mike to come into the lift and help Todd to his feet. “Deck five,” she ordered as she stood next to the crewman.

The lift doors opened and they slowly made their way to Sickbay. Chakotay and Tuvok were talking to the Doctor when the group entered.

“Mike, stay with Todd while I talk to the Doctor.” She walked over to her senior officers.

“Captain, what happened?” Chakotay worried.

“From the look of that nose, I would say it isn’t broken.” Interrupted the Doctor as took the nearest medical tricorder and probe to confirm the diagnosis. “No, break. I’ll give you an analgesic for the pain if you like?”

“No, thank you. Doctor, examine Mr. Carlson to make sure his lapse wasn’t caused by a disease or outside influence.” The Doctor nodded and left and Kathryn turned to face Chakotay and Tuvok. “I’m not sure why it happened. I hadn’t realized he was in the lift until he angrily said I’d killed his family and then he lost complete control and took two swings at me. I managed to deflect the second and he then collapsed to the floor and began to cry. It appears Mr. Carlson blames me for killing his family.”

Tuvok remained impassive but Chakotay looked stunned. He rubbed his hand through his hair. “Oh no… I thought he took the news…” He put his hand up to his mouth, stopping any further sounds. Todd and Chell seemed to accept the news of the Maquis massacre as well as can be expected. There was a flash of anger then a realization they were so far away to do anything about it. Chakotay hadn’t known about the whereabouts of the extended family of many of his crew but it wouldn’t be unheard of for the entire family to be Maquis.

Kathryn wondered, “Chakotay, what news?”

Chakotay waited a few seconds to get his thoughts in order. After he’d read the news, he’d wanted to be angry, to rant and rave like B’Elanna had but now he was drained. He took a deep breath. “The Maquis have been wiped out.”

“Wiped out? How? There were thousands of you.” Kathryn hadn’t quite believed what she’d just heard.

“The letter I received was from a woman called Sveta.” He ran his hand across his chin. He’d repeated the horrible news already a half a dozen times and each time he repeated the news it seemed to take more effort to remain calm enough to console the people he was telling. The whole thing was taking a toll on him. He turned to Tuvok. “Tuvok, do you remember her?”

“Yes, Commander. An intelligent, resourceful leader. A person to be believed, Captain.” Tuvok reassured the captain of the veracity of the information.

“Sveta is in prison in New Zealand. The letter she sent said the Cardassians have joined forces with a Gamma Quadrant power called the Dominion. They supplied the Cardassians and helped in the massacre of all the colonies along the DMZ. All of them.”

The captain was horrified. “God! I’m so sorry, Chakotay.” It was so hard to accept that the Federation or Starfleet would let this happen. “Where were Starfleet and the Federation?”

Chakotay saw the concern from Kathryn not just for Maquis but for Starfleet as well. “Starfleet had been pushed back from the DMZ so the colonies were practically defenceless and the Dominion is very strong. The war is not going well for the Federation.”

“Excuse me, Captain.” The Doctor had been standing listening to the news before he gave them the report on Carlson.

Kathryn faced the Doctor and nodded.

“Mr Carlson has no infectious agents and I couldn’t detect any outside influence to explain his behaviour. On hearing the tragic news, I would suggest he cracked.”

“Treatment?”

“I have him sedated for the time being and through counselling I think he should recover.”

The captain concurred then faced Tuvok, “Tuvok, let’s leave it at that. No charges as there was no harm done.”

“Aye, Captain. I shall return to the Bridge.” Tuvok pivoted and left Sickbay.

“Chakotay, I’ll leave you to work out a counselling schedule for Mr Carlson with the Doctor.”

“Yes, Captain,” they both said at the same time .

~~~~~~~~~

Kathryn was propped up on her couch in her Ready Room watching the stars zip by. The coffee in her cup was cold as she ignored it. ‘What a mess!’ she thought, ‘How much more can we take?’ adding after a second, ‘Not much.’ After the events of this evening, she wondered why there weren’t more cases of ‘cracking’ as the Doctor had so succinctly put it since their arrival in this God-forsaken quadrant.

Beep

“Enter,” she ordered without taking her eyes off the streaming light of the stars moving by. Kathryn saw Chakotay walk toward her through his approaching reflection in the window.

Her slumped shoulders and tired look were evidence of the damaging effects of the last two days, he reflected. She put on a brave face for her crew but he knew her ‘Dear John’ letter, a new enemy and the news of the Maquis had taken their toll. He was here to drop of the counselling schedule for Carlson but also wanted to check on how she doing. He put the padd on her desk before coming up to her couch. “I have the Carlson’s treatment schedule.”

“Thank you,” she mumbled wiping her hands over her eyes. “Chakotay, I could use a real drink. Would you care to join me?”

“Yes, Captain.” Even though they were both tired, they knew sleep would elude them in their current frames of mind. He hoped that they could both use a shoulder to lean on and so headed for the turbolift. Ordering the lift to Deck three was the only thing either of them said until they got to Kathryn’s quarters.

Kathryn keyed in her code and invited Chakotay in, “Come in and take a seat. I’ll be right back.” Chakotay sat on her sofa and watched as she disappeared into her bedroom presumably to get the alcohol that he hoped would numb their pain. He closed his eyes and rubbed his hands over his face. He just didn’t have the strength for thinking about it too much at the moment.

The rattle of glasses and a bottle on the table and followed by Kathryn plonking herself down unceremoniously onto the sofa next to him brought him back and he opened his eyes.

Chakotay was stunned. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Yes.” Kathryn smirked. “It’s a bottle of Romulan Ale, fifteen years old.”

“Fifteen?” Chakotay leant forward, and picked up the intricate cylinder holding the most potent and definitely illegal blue spirit in the Alpha Quadrant. The label was in Romulan so he couldn’t read it but he held the bottle over the label with a reverence befitting a religious object.

“It came from my father. He had won four dozen from a Romulan Admiral in a poker game after a treaty negotiation. When I graduated from the Academy, he gave me a case for a present. I’ve only ever had one bottle.” Kathryn paused as she took the bottle from his hand, poured a shot into the glasses and gave him one. She swirled the blue liquid around the glass while Chakotay waited for her to continue the story. The memories of her father’s death and how she’d only been able to bring herself to have one bottle so she could keep something he’d given to her was still raw in her mind and in her heart. Quietly, she added. “The only bottle I opened was when Mark asked me to marry him.” She tapped her glass against his and stated with equal amounts of regret and anger. “To love lost.” The blue liquid disappeared in one gulp down her throat and a moment later there was an involuntary gasp as the strong liquid hit the back of her throat.

Chakotay downed his shot and began to cough immediately. “Phew …” Chakotay cleared his throat. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had any real alcohol.”

Kathryn poured another shot in their glasses. “It’s your turn.”

Running his finger over the lip of the glass, she’d set the tone for this evening by recalling Mark’s letter, so he might as well continue the morose theme. “To lost friends.” Once again there was the reflex cough as the ale was swallowed.

Kathryn refilled their glasses and toasted bitterly. “To Starfleet!”

Surprised at the intensity she said that toast, Chakotay turned to look at her as she hit their glasses and she swallowed the alcohol. He heard her mutter ‘bastards’ which surprised him as well, before he drank his shot. This time he refilled their glasses. The anger hadn’t left her face. Clearly, he thought, they would have to drink some more.

“To the Cardassians.” Chakotay toasted spitefully, clunked their glasses and drank again.

As soon as their glasses were empty, they both shook their heads and said at the same time. “Bastards!”

They laughed out loud. It wasn’t a good belly laugh but it was enough and the mood in the room lifted a little. The Romulan ale was finally having the desired effect as she hoped. Kathryn poured some more ale. “To the Federation.”

The glasses touched lightly, before the ale disappeared again. Chakotay picked up the bottle which was only a quarter full now, and poured another round. “To the Dominion!”

For the first time this evening they’d actually looked at each other. The glasses softly touched and Kathryn saw the pain in evidence in his eyes as they downed the ale quickly. She watched him. “Chakotay, I am so sorry about the Maquis.”

“I know.” Chakotay filled their liqueur glasses again and passed one to her. The temperature in the room was increasing which corresponded with the warmth spreading out from his stomach. He wanted to take his jacket off but he would have to wait.

“I’m worried about you.” She drank the liqueur and could feel the heat from it pulsing through her. She unzipped her uniform jacket and poured some more into their glasses.

Chakotay took his drink from the table and stared at her. “Me?”

“Yep, you did a great job of hiding your feelings all yesterday.”

They swallowed the ale. The temperature in room appeared to be rise steadily. Kathryn could feel her face redden and she could see a few beads of sweat on the Chakotay’s forehead.

“I was worried about you.” Chakotay pulled at his collar. “Do you mind?”

Kathryn shook her head, stood up and took her jacket off so Chakotay did the same.

“Worried about me? Your friends had been slaughtered.” Kathryn was amazed that he would think of her. She filled the glasses again and passed his to him. This time she leant her side on the couch to face him, holding the glass in one hand with her head resting on the other.

“I know, but my job is to protect you. You had enough to worry about with the Hirogen and your Dear John letter.” He stopped to gulp down the ale. “When I told the ex-Maquis the news I let them get angry at me and I hoped they would not get angry at anybody else. Carlson and Chell were they last ones I told. They didn’t say much which didn’t sink in at the time. I didn’t want to add to your problems. I’m sorry.”

She finished off the ale in her glass and grabbed the bottle to fill their glasses up again. She shook her head at him. He was unbelievable. He didn’t want to add to her burdens even though their cause was destroyed in a massacre. She wasn’t sure whether he didn’t think she could handle any more bad news or like he said he was trying to protect her. Kathryn smiled and decided that is was the later. After passing him his drink, she softly touched his glass. “Thank you for protecting me.” She took another swig of her ale and watched her old friend. “Tell me about some of them.”

Chakotay thought the temperature just rose again as she smiled at him. He sipped his ale before returning her smile. He didn’t know many outside his cell for security reasons, perhaps only ten people at the most who weren’t on the Liberty. He thought about it for a few seconds then recalled. “There was Rista, our supply officer. Like me, her family was wiped out by the Cardassians. She was a sweet kind hearted girl who wanted to fight but it just wasn’t in her nature so she became a logistics and supply specialist instead. Whenever we returned to base, she would always have something special for some of the crew. A birthday present, a letter home or a favourite food. Just a little something for …” He stopped as the memories flooded back and downed his drink in one gulp and became bitter. “And now the woman who wouldn’t hurt a fly is dead.” He jumped up and walked over to the window. Rista had reminded him of his sister as they were the same size and the same long black hair. They were now both dead and he was too far away to exact revenge on the Cardassians. Tears welled up in his eyes as he thought of his sister and parents. The Maquis and their cause. All dead. He let the tears fall.

Kathryn slowly walked over to her friend and put her hand on his shoulder in support.

“Damn you, Kathryn,” he sighed, at last realizing why she was doing this as she turned him around and gathered him into a hug pulling his head down to her shoulder. Kathryn had given Chakotay the chance to grieve for his friends and his cause. He thought of the thousands of innocent families that lived around the DMZ. All gone now. Her hands held him tightly as the tears continued to fall and his chest heaved up and down. His arms were wrapped around her back holding onto her with his head buried in her shoulder and his tears soaking her turtleneck.

Looking back at how sad she felt yesterday and angry today over Mark’s moving on and marriage, it was nothing on what around twenty of her crew were feeling. Intellectually, she’d known that eventually Mark would move on but it still hurt. ‘Pain is relative,’ she thought as she stroked Chakotay’s back. She may have lost Mark being out here but she had gained a best friend. The man she was comforting now and it certainly felt good to do this.

The sobs lessened after a while and Chakotay’s breathing became more regular, but they still embraced each other, each taking what the other what they needed from the other, their unconditional understanding and support. Kathryn pulled away a fraction and tenderly used her thumb to wipe away a tear from his cheek and then held his hands and led him back to the sofa.

She picked up the Romulan ale bottle to see that is was empty. “This bottle is empty. I’ll get another. Back in a minute.” Kathryn went into her bedroom.

Chakotay watched as she disappeared into her room. Her shirt had a large patch of his tears on her tiny shoulder. He wondered how she held him upright when his legs felt like jelly. He wiped his hands over his face a little feeling better now after releasing some of the emotion that he had bottled up. Kathryn had had enough experience with loss to know what worked for her and had used it to help him. He wondered if there was a time when she didn’t think of her crew. ‘She must be feeling like shit but here she is helping me,’ he thought.

Kathryn waltzed back into the room carrying another bottle of the potent blue liqueur. She sat down next time to him, patted his knee, smiled and cracked open the lid and poured some more. She passed him the glass. “Feeling better?”

Chakotay gently touched her glass and sipped some more. “Yes, I suppose. It’ll take awhile to come to terms with everything for me and my old crew”

“We’ll do it together. You’re all my crew now.” Kathryn tossed down her shot and he followed suit then she poured another round.

“What about you?”

She smirked and pointing to her drink. “Fine and this helps to dull things.” She drank more of the blue ale.

“I remember saying something about a Trakan Beast?” He knocked back his drink.

Pouring more of the ale, she grinned. “I won’t be able to feel my legs when we finish this.” Kathryn stared at her drink swirling it around as she thought about how she felt about the letter. When she first read the letter, she sat in Ready Room devastated but now she accepted he was gone. It wasn’t unexpected that Starfleet would declare them lost and those at home would move on but it still hurt. However, there were others here worse off then her so she swigged her ale down and coughed as the warm liquid seared her throat. The room’s temperature was rising again and she started to feel a touch light headed.

Picking up her change of mood, Chakotay downed his drink. He had to hold the bottle carefully as his hand wobbled a bit as he transferred some more alcohol to their glasses. He leaned a little closer. “Tell me something about Mark?”

Kathryn sat silently for several seconds. “Mark made me think outside the Starfleet box. He was the only person I knew who could debate all sides of any intellectual topic but still be able to tell who was doing what to whom in the latest holo-vid drama.” She smiled. “In fact, for one of his Questor group meetings where philosophers were discussing the big questions of the day, his lecture was on the ethical behaviour or lack of it and its effect on the society at large of the Jarna family which was the hit holo-vid drama at the time.” Kathryn remembered that talk because it was one of the few she actually saw in a meeting and not just the ones he practiced in front of her. She continued. “The stunned mullet looks on the faces of the people at the meeting was priceless. Every now and then he would talk on these seemingly absurd topics. He said that they all took their job way too seriously and they needed to ‘lighten up’ as he put it. It was his subtle way to get me to relax as well.” She hesitated as the emotions of it all threatened to bubble over. She swallowed the rest of her drink and her voice became softer as she carried on. “It worked. I didn’t have to be the perfect Starfleet officer for him. I could just be Kathryn.” ‘Damn’ she thought as the tears welled up and she wiped them away quickly.

Chakotay finished his ale so poured some more in both of their glasses. His hand gently rested on top of hers and after a quick reassuring squeeze. “I’ve seen Kathryn.”

Kathryn face was flushed red with the alcohol and she was feeling definitely warm. She still gulped down her ale and sighed heavily. “She doesn’t get out much.”

After sculling his last drink he refilled their glasses. “I don’t know about that. I happen to know that Kathryn enjoys chatting with Naomi. That Kathryn comes out whenever there is a pool table and especially when her replicator rations are low. She teases her pilot incessantly.”

“The last time I was really ‘me’ was on New Earth.” Kathryn smiled weakly. “But only after the storm.” The time they’d spent there especially after the storm, had been was wonderful. No responsibility, just them falling in love. Sometimes she did regret Voyager coming back for them as she could easily have seen herself surrendering to that love. Ruefully, Kathryn looked at the near empty second bottle of Romulan ale on the table. ‘One more round and it will be gone,’ she thought. She poured the last round and gently touched his glass to toast their best time together. “To New Earth.”

“To New Earth.” He raised his glass to salute her before they downed it in one go. Chakotay felt the liquid warm his throat on the way down and then add to the pleasant glow that surrounded him. He remembered having this same glow on New Earth as he got to know the real Kathryn and not just the captain and their connection deepened.

“I think and dream about New Earth often.”

“Me too.”

Kathryn turned around to face him and held her hand out, fingers slightly spread. It was a clear invitation and a memory of those times on New Earth. He didn’t hesitate in accepting her invitation by entwining his fingers through hers. Chakotay watched as she sighed and closed her eyes. The warmth of their joined hands brought all those feelings roaring back. With his other hand, he gently caressed her cheek and she tilted her head toward his touch. Kathryn opened her eyes to see his handsome face smiling at her. She smiled back drinking him all in as she let go of his hand and used a finger to trace his tattoo which was something she’d always wanted to do.

“Oh … Kathryn.” Chakotay moaned. He’d wanted and dreamed of being touched by her like this and now it was a reality and it was so much better than his dreams. He took hold of her hand, closed his eyes and kissed her fingers. The desire swept through him to have so much more. He cupped her face, looking deeply into her eyes wanting approval for the next step.

Kathryn purred and her eyes shone and the small smile spoke volumes to him. “Please, Chakotay.”

He kissed her softly then withdrew to look again into her eyes. It was a tender kiss full of promise and unspoken love. There was a gleam in her eye as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her kiss him again. This time she opened her mouth and allowed his tongue to entrance to explore. As the kiss deepened, their tongues jockeyed for supremacy and their arms roamed over their backs. His kisses and gentle nipping continued down her throat and neck, making her groan. As she tilted her head to allow more access to her sensitive neck, she straddled his lap. Her hands combed through his hair and she began to rock on his lap while he continued to kiss the sensitive spot just below her ear.

“Mmm …” she moaned deeply. “That feels fantastic.”

“You’re fantastic.” Chakotay mumbled in between his gentle nips. Kathryn’s hips grinding on his lap was having the desired effect with his arousal growing and pulsating.

“Flattery will get you into trouble.” Kathryn replied stopping her grinding and allowing herself to feel his throbbing erection. Her desire for him was irresistible. Just to feel him, touch him and be touched by him. It was driving her wild.

“Trouble?” He asked still nibbling her neck and running a hand through her hair.

“Oh yes. Big trouble.” Without a second thought, she hopped of his lap, stood up and held out her hand. Chakotay smiled taking her hand and was led into her bedroom. They stopped at the side of her bed and Kathryn removed her pips from her turtleneck and placed them on her side table as he removed his turtleneck. From behind her, Chakotay held her tightly and once again gave special attention to her neck while allowing his hands to wander over her stomach. Chakotay needed to feel her skin so he moved toward her nape and took off the turtleneck to reveal her tank then kissed her shoulders while his hands ran up and down her arms. Her moans drove him on for more. He craved the softness of her bare breasts so he pulled her tank top over her head and then the bra came off.

“Hmm … You’re so beautiful.” Chakotay said lustfully looking over her shoulder to see the already erect nipples. He cupped her breasts, squeezing them gently then slowly stroking each with light touches all the while he continued to caress her neck with gentle nibbles and kisses. Kathryn gasped as he tweaked and pinched her peaks. Her head rolled back as her desire grew for more of his touches and her body leant more toward him, feeling his hard arousal. He let go of one nipple and allowed his hand to meander ever downwards. She groaned, skin tingling as his fingers feathered over her until he finally reached her mound. She was sure he could feel how wet she was through her uniform when he began to rub her folds and she rolled her hips in a slow circle. This was ecstasy and she didn’t want it to end.

“Oh, God. Chakotay! Please I want … Oh…” She panted as her arousal gathered strength until she finally came shuddering against him.

He held onto her tightly while she bucked, still pinching her nipple and whispered over and over. “I love you. I love you.”

“My angry Warrior. I love you.” Kathryn turned around to kiss him thoroughly at the same time as running her hands over his chest. She then moved away slightly but still smiling at him she toed off her boots and slowly took off her remaining clothes. Kathryn smiled and purred at him as she lay down on her bed, arms above her head and legs sightly spread. “Are you ready for some trouble?”

Nodding, he stood mesmerised for a short time before joining her on her bed.

~~~~~~~~~

_Beep Beep_ “Captain Janeway, the time is 0600. The time is 0600.” The computer’s female voice and alarm sounded.

The computer detected no movement from the room after a minute and so it continued to its next alarm level. This one was thirty percent louder than the previous.

_BEEP BEEP_ “CAPTAIN JANEWAY, THE TIME IS 0602. THE TIME IS 0602.”

Kathryn woke up and sat up with a start followed a second later by Chakotay. She instantly regretted sitting up so fast for her head was going to explode and her stomach was begging for some sort of equilibrium after feeling it was in a force ten Ion storm. She should’ve remembered what her father said about Romulan ale, that its effects are delayed and horrendous. From the guttural groan coming from her left, she knew Chakotay wasn’t feeling any better.

“Shit! Shut that damn thing off, Chakotay!” Kathryn moaned as she held her pounding head in her hands.

“Okay. Computer, reset alarm. Arggh… My head.” Chakotay tried to massage his temples but to no avail.

“Oh, God. Why did you have to mention the head?” Kathryn felt her stomach heave once before she threw back the sheet, covered her mouth and dashed to the head barely making it in time to vomit in the bowl. After she finished, she rolled over and leant against her bath.

Chakotay struggled to get up and stay upright as he made his way over to the bathroom to check on her. He sat on the edge of her bath. “Are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine now the ion storm in my stomach has gone. It’s no wonder that stuff’s illegal.” Kathryn patted his leg. “How about you?”

“I don’t think my Academy graduation hangover was this bad.”

“In my side table on the left is a detox hypospray. Why don’t you get that while I go to the toilet and clean up.”

“Okay.” Chakotay left the bathroom to get the spray. He found it and sat down, checked the dose and injected himself, grateful, for Kathryn’s presence of mind to have something here. He just couldn’t face the Doctor in his current state of mind.

Kathryn walked gingerly back into the bedroom a few minutes later. He passed the hypospray to her as she sat next to him and injected a dose of the detox solution into her neck while he got up and went to use bathroom. The detox worked rapidly at least to clear her head. She laid down on her bed and closed her eyes then when she heard the toilet flush she propped up on her elbow to watch Chakotay come back into the bedroom.

Smiling at him, she admired the view as he approached the bed. “I’m sorry. I was a little busy last night and forgot to change the alarm.”

“No problem.” He lay down next to her, rolling her toward him then and continued on with a smirk. “I was worried the thought of me being here may have made you sick.”

“Please don’t ever think that. We may have been a little tiddly last night but I knew what I was doing.” She ran a finger up his chest and caressed his chin, looking straight into his dark eyes and stressed. “I love you. Know that. Believe it. Because I do with everything that I am.”

“Thank you, Kathryn. I love you, too.” Chakotay leant down and kissed her cheek then wrapped his arms around her bringing her to his chest.

“Computer, lights out. We don’t have to go back on duty until 1400. So I think we’ll have a sleep in. What do you think?”

“Sounds great. Good morning, Kathryn.” He kissed her on the head and then they let sleep take them as they held each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~

_One week later_ :

B’Elanna waved his boyfriend over, standing up to give him a quick hug and a kiss before sitting down. “Tom, you’re late.”

“Sorry, I dropped the latest conn report to Chakotay.”

Neelix appeared and waited for his order. “What can I get for our illustrious Chief pilot this evening?”

“I’ll have the special, thanks.” Neelix nodded.

B’Elanna played with her Leola root topped Sheppard’s pie. “The captain got my Engineering report before I came here.”

Neelix reappeared. “Enjoy.”

“Thanks.” He picked up his fork and waved it in the air. “Funny thing though. When I entered the Chakotay’s quarters, on the table next to his picture of his family was an empty bottle of Romulan ale. There is only one person I know that has it.”

“Small world. I’ve seen another empty ale bottle.”

“Where?” Tom was now curious because the ale came in a very distinctive bottle. He knew that B’Elanna wouldn’t mistake it for anything else as it was the only alcoholic drink the Klingons would consider drinking other than blood wine.

“Captain’s quarters. On her desk, next to her monitor.”

“Well, she’s the only one I know who would have a stash of the precious ale on Voyager.” Tom scooped up some food and thought what this could mean. His father had told him about Edward Janeway’s poker win and assumed it was part of those winnings.

B’Elanna practically saw the gears turning inside Tom’s brain. “Don’t bother. You’ll never find out.”

The messhall doors opened and a laughing Captain and First Officer practically bounded in to sit at a table close to the window. Neelix quickly took their orders and returned with their food.

Tom tipped his head toward in his senior officer’s direction as they continued to laugh. “They’re in a good mood.”

“Let them alone, Tom.”

“Okay. Okay.” Tom gave up.

Tom and B’Elanna continued to eat their dinner talking about their day.

B’Elanna finished her coffee and just happened to look in the captain’s direction. She watched Kathryn’s foot slowly move up and down Chakotay’s calf. B’Elanna couldn’t see Chakotay’s reaction but there was a wicked grin on her captain’s face.

B’Elanna smiled and leant toward Tom. “Tom, I think we should start the Pool again.”


End file.
